Those of you who know me personally know I love to bake and cook.
But I have had a few disasters in my kitchen and some of them were from failure to follow instructions.
I remember one time in particular that I was making cinnamon rolls. I had only made them a couple times before so wasn’t very familiar with the process. I had my Mom’s recipe before me and I started in. Step 1 was to prepare the yeast mixture with WARM water but Step 2 was to add HOT water to the shortening, sugar and salt. I decided that I would save a time and use hot water for both.
Little did I know that hot water will kill yeast. I waited impatiently for the yeast to rise and although it grew a little it didn’t process as it should. Did I stop and start over – No! My attitude was keep going, it will be ok. Suffice it to say the rolls never did rise the way they should and that day I made cinnamon crackers, not cinnamon rolls.
I learned a very valuable lesson about following instructions.
The last few days we have been talking about following the leader. God went to great lengths to give us an instruction manual for life.
“All Scripture is given by God. And all Scripture is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching the right way to live. 17 Using the Scriptures, those who serve God will be prepared and will have everything they need to do every good work.” II Timothy 3:16-17 ERV
We need to follow instructions. Not to conform to some religious list of do’s and don’ts. God’s word comes from the heart of a loving Father who wants to give his children what they need to navigate life victoriously.
It’s so important that we have God’s word as the basis of all we do. It needs to be our foundation so that we are standing firm. It’s our bedrock for life.
“Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock. 25 Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and winds beat against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on solid rock.” Matthew 7:24-25 CEV
I’m sure everyone of you can recall a time when you didn’t follow instructions and the end result was less than perfect. Mistakes were made, hopefully they were remedied easily but some of them may have been costly.
“These are the proverbs of Solomon, the son of David and king of Israel. 2 They will help you learn to be wise, to accept correction, and to understand wise sayings. 3 They will teach you to develop your mind in the right way. You will learn to do what is right and to be honest and fair. 4 These proverbs will make even those without education smart. They will teach young people what they need to know and how to use what they have learned. 5 Even the wise could become wiser by listening to these proverbs. They will gain understanding and learn to solve difficult problems. 6 These sayings will help you understand proverbs, stories with hidden meanings, words of the wise, and other difficult sayings.
7 Knowledge begins with fear and respect for the Lord, but stubborn fools hate wisdom and refuse to learn.” Proverbs 1:1-7 ERV
You’ll be surprised how many mistakes can be avoided by praying and asking God for wisdom before proceeding. I’m not telling you that we will never make mistakes but they will certainly decrease significantly when we take our direction from God’s word.
“ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not trust in your own understanding. 6 Agree with Him in all your ways, and He will make your paths straight. ” Proverbs 3:5-6 NLV
Lord, when I get in a hurry remind me to follow Your instructions. Direct my path. I don’t want to make mistakes. I want to follow your lead. AMEN!